Girl's Poker Night
by BeautifulAlice
Summary: The women of Atlantis play poker, talk about the men in their lives, and just generally enjoy a bit of time to themselves for a change. Gen fic, takes place around season four of 'No Man's Land', but no real spoilers.


**Girl's Poker Night**

_**BeautifulAlice**_

**Summary**: The women of Atlantis play poker, talk about the men in their lives, and just generally enjoy a bit of time to themselves for a change.

**Notes**: I do not own Stargate Atlantis or 'Her Alibi'. Slight spoilers throughout the first four seasons of Atlantis up until 'No Man's Land'. Gen fic.

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The cards were swiftly stacked, shuffled, and then being quickly passed around the medium sized round table that the women of Atlantis were using to do their annual poker night…and to gossip about the local beasts in the area.

"Ronon must be an animal in the sack," Laura Cadman, their Dealer, said with a wicked gleam in her eyes as she eyed Amelia. All of them knew there was something starting up between Amelia and Ronon when Ronon and Jennifer didn't pan out.

Amelia-predictably-blushed.

"I wouldn't know," She admitted, biting her lower lip. "It's like…he's holding himself back. As though he's not…he's not sure if he wants me or not."

"Do you want him?" Katie Brown asked, sounding interested, as she sipped her diet coke, and then picked up her new cards. "Crap. I need three, please, Dealer." She added, tossing three cards towards Laura, who obliged and gave her three in return.

"Maybe," Amelia admitted, frowning. "Though I'm Bi, I don't know if he knows that." She added, and Sam piped up,

"I'm sure he'll figure it out soon enough, especially if you let him know. Don't be afraid-Ronon doesn't really judge people, unless they're half wraith or something." Sam said with a grin, even as she was frowning at her cards. "Damn. I need three also, Dealer." Sam tossed the cards and Laura-smirking-handed their expedition leader the new cards that she'd requested.

"Well," Amelia shot back at Sam. "I know Radek's got the hots for you. Almost as bad as he did Elizabeth, or so I've heard tell."

A momentary quiet settled at the table, as each person thought about the woman that they'd lost. They silently toasted her not being here, and then Sam responded thoughtfully,

"I wouldn't mind seeing if Radek was alright in bed. Though truthfully…and if any of you repeat what's said here, I will happily strand you upon a deserted planet without a Stargate," Sam threatened, getting giggles and laughter in return. "But-Rodney's not so bad."

Squeals echoed around the table, making Sam wince, and Laura looked gleeful.

"Oh, if it comes down to a fight between Rodney and Radek, I'm SO going for Rodney!" Laura said.

"Not fair-you know every trick he has, having been-literally-inside his head!" Jennifer protested. "And besides, Rodney and I are…kind of dating now," Jennifer admitted, ducking her head and blushing.

"You go girl!" Laura said, beaming. "And if it comes to a catfight between you and Sam, I'm SO betting Sam!"

"I wish you all the best," Katie Brown offered, sighing. "Rodney's a nice guy…a little thoughtless sometimes, which is amusing because he's such a genius, but I think that's mostly because he lacks the people experience."

"Oh, you can say that again," Sam groaned, remembering their first encounter-she'd hated him so much back then, it was a wonder that the man was still walking and talking considering the many times she'd nearly pummeled him to death.

"Was he really that bad before?" Laura asked, frowning, as she checked her cards, and deftly swapped two of them for a new pair for her own cards, and then smirked wickedly.

"He was…a monster. Called me 'blondie' and 'hottie' all in the same sentence when he first met me," Sam admitted, ruefully.

Giggles swept around the table.

"I do not understand," Teyla said, as she approached the table. "What is a 'blondie'?" She shifted Torrin onto her side, even as she gratefully accepted the seat that Amelia handed her. She sat between Amelia and Sam, and was quickly dealt into the game by Laura. Torrin giggled as Sam cooed at him.

"A blondie is actually a term for a 'blond', both being the same thing, but blondie is somehow easier to say and more appropriate in the context that it's used. Blond haired women are considered rather stupid and, well…rather 'blond'," Laura began explaining to Teyla, as she handed Teyla the cards that Teyla handed back-which was only one card. Laura felt a bit worried about that, but held that thought back so that the others wouldn't notice. Teyla was a massive card shark, as all the women had figured out.

"That seems quite rude," Teyla observed, turning towards Sam. "Has he ever apologized?" The look on her face said that if he hadn't, he soon would do so.

"Yeah, back when you guys did those video letters to Earth in your first year," Sam admitted, shifting. "Though it wasn't exactly an apology, but I don't think Rodney knew how to apologize then. He's changed," She said, frowning at her cards. She tossed them onto the table. "I'm out," She said, regretfully, stretching her arms above her head and her legs out underneath the table.

"Me too," Katie said with a sigh, tossing her card deck down.

"Me three," Amelia said with a groan.

It came down to Laura and Teyla and Jennifer.

"And I guess I am too," Jennifer said in disgust, after the two women glanced towards her. The two women looked back at one another, and grinned-both of them looking like scary female sharks. All the women around the table were suddenly very glad that they were no longer in the game.

"So," Laura said, as she put half of her stack of goods towards the middle of the table. "How's Kanaan doing?"

"He is fine," Teyla answered, looking at the pile rather thoughtfully-there were three candy bars, an extra MP3 player, about a hundred and fifty dollars, and a DVD of 'Her Alibi'. "He is currently sleeping in our quarters. I believe he is exhausted from sparring with Ronon, who is training him in the ways of the Satedan military," She explained, and Laura blinked.

"There's a course for that here on Atlantis? Awesome, sign me up!" She exclaimed, eagerly.

"And me," Sam added, interestedly.

"I'm up for it too!" Amelia added, quickly. She took a drink of her mountain dew, and settled back in the chair to watch the two women do battle over poker. Both had excellent poker faces.

"I still wish we could've seen who'd've won in battle-Ronon or Teal'c," Jennifer said wistfully.

"I still say Teal'c," Sam said immediately.

"Well, you'd have to. You two have been friends for almost twenty years, right?" Katie pointed out, coming back with a tray of sandwiches, chips and cookies. "Anyone else want some?"

Torrin babbled happily as Teyla gratefully picked up a turkey sandwich, and took a large bite.

"I am…what is the term? All in?" Teyla asked, shifting her pile towards the middle of the table. Laura inwardly cursed, but outwardly just smiled.

"That's correct, yes." Laura told her. "And good job-did Sheppard give you that Poker Guidebook?"

"It was actually Dr. Zelenka who finally gave me a copy of the book. I think that Colonel Sheppard forgot," Teyla said thoughtfully, frowning as she gave Torrin a bit of her sandwich. Torrin chomped down on it, making a huge mess in the process. Teyla sighed, and Sam quickly handed her a towel. She gave Sam a smile in thanks, and began cleaning Torrin.

"Okay," Laura said suddenly. "Two pair, Kings and Queens and an Ace," She told Teyla, who smiled.

"A very good try, Lt. Cadman," Teyla said, and Laura's heart sank-there went her spare MP3 player and favorite movie. "A…large house?"

"Full house," Sam corrected, smirking. Teal'c used the same expression when the team had introduced him to poker that one time. She missed her team then, again, and wished she could talk to them. "Teyla wins."

"Every single game Teyla's played so far she's won," Katie observed. "You're a menace, Teyla."

"She really is," Jennifer agreed, looking sideways at Teyla. "Are we still on for more survival in the woods training?" She asked. Sam knew the two of them had been through a lot, when Teyla had found her people missing.

"We are," Teyla agreed. "Are you still able to handle it? I know it's been difficult as of late, because it's starting into the harder phases of the training." Teyla informed her, and Jennifer sighed.

"Yeah, it's hard. But I…I want to be able to be useful, in case I'm with Sheppard's or Lorne's team offworld, and trapped in the woods or something." She admitted, biting her lower lip.

"Well, I can join in too," Katie offered, timidly. "I know I don't go offworld very often, but when I do it is quite scary."

"I would not mind training any woman at this table, or in Atlantis, how to survive by themselves in the woods," Teyla said gently, with a smile at Katie. "And I believe that we should start another round of poker, Lt. Cadman."

"You CAN call me Laura, you know." Laura returned, already dealing the hands out to the women.

"Laura," Teyla seemed to try it, and nodded. "I will remember. Thank you," She said, and picked up her cards.

It was simple things like this, Sam thought as the women continued chatting on about their love lives and things that had been going on in Atlantis. Little things like being allowed to call someone by their first name, or just having a girls poker night that made all the difference in the world. She still felt homesick…but right here, right now, she could almost forget about it.

Glancing down at her cards, she smiled as she saw that she had four aces and a king.

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**The End**


End file.
